About Aragon Ballroom

In Chicago, there are plenty of dance halls, concert venues and meeting places. The Aragon Entertainment Center combines aspects of all three. The Aragon Ballroom is the only place in Chicago where its guests can meet under the constant gaze of ancient painted stars, eternally hanging over an arena designed to emulate a Moorish courtyard, with the feel of Old Spain and the soul of Chicago imbued in one splendid auditorium. This proves true even today, with capacity of 4,500 patrons and past big-name talent such as Green Day, the White Stripes, Mastodon and more. Due to the packed events, the Aragon Ballroom parking situation can get complex. The venue has shifted its focus over the years, from public dancing to ice skating, disco, boxing, and then finally Latin bands and rock concerts. Nobody wants to be late to the party, especially because of parking; with ParkWhiz, you can book your Aragon Ballroom parking place in advance, so you’ll be early enough to see the lights go on and the stars all come out at once.

The Aragon Ballroom has a storied history, extending from its opening day in 1926 to the present, despite some interruptions. Designed in part to call to mind a Moorish courtyard in Spain, the ballroom was built by the Karzas brothers in honor of its namesake, the Spanish region of Aragon and used to legitimize public dancing, which at the time was heavily scrutinized by the press and public due to perceived indecency. This noble goal was only partially successful, as legend has it that clandestine tunnels existed during the Prohibition era from Al Capone’s regular haunt of the Green Mill Bar to the Aragon Ballroom. Following the depression, dance halls and big band music went out of style, causing the Aragon to rapidly change owners and the types of entertainment that it provided. In the late 60s, the Aragon was renamed the “Cheetah Club,” and hosted counterculture bands such as the Grateful Dead, the Byrds, Jethro Tull, the Doors and many more. In 1973, the Aragon Ballroom was acquired by Willy Miranda and Jose Palomar, and hosted several Latin dances, along with English-language and rock-n-roll events, which considerably boosted its popularity. It has since become so well known in a positive sense that President Barack Obama celebrated his 50th birthday in 2011 at a fundraiser hosted at the Aragon. If the President doesn’t have to worry about Aragon Ballroom parking, why should you? By making use of ParkWhiz before your event, you won’t need a motorcade to find a nice, close place to park, making the Aragon Ballroom parking as easy as watching a cool, electric show under a ceiling of painted stars.

ParkWhiz makes parking easy for everyone, no matter whether you are a celebrity or not. On the ParkWhiz website, all you have to do is find your event at the Aragon Ballroom, book your parking spot, and print out your parking pass. When you bring your Aragaon Ballroom parking pass with you, all you have to do is park in your reserved spot, relax and enjoy the band as it starts to rev up!